What Happens When Your Favorite Restaurant Closes?

Sunday night had so much promise. In addition to a new episode of True Blood and the season premiere of Mad Men, I ordered dinner (a potato paratha and chickpea stew) from Lassi, my favorite Indian takeout spot. Everything was going great until my food arrived and I found a note tucked inside the bag informing me that Lassi, my beloved Lassi, is closing at the end of the month. I can't even begin to explain how sad this news made me. It's a good thing I had Lafayette and Eric (my favorite True Blood characters) as comfort.

In my younger, less-self-controlled days, I might order from Lassi everyday until it shuts its doors, but that would likely just make me miss it more. (I plan to place several orders while I still can but I promise to exhibit at least a modicum of self control).

The loss of Lassi got me thinking about similarly devastating restaurant closures. A couple years ago, my family discovered that our favorite local restaurant was gone. In that case, the main disappointment was that we would never again enjoy their house salad. It had the most amazing dressing that we were never able to figure out, and for some reason we never thought to ask for the recipe. More recently I was bummed when Flor's Kitchen in the East Village closed, sad that their black bean arepas were no more. And, every summer (well, all year really) I complain endlessly that the Emack & Bolio's ice cream shop near my apartment closed. A very cute coffee shop opened in its place but I can't bear to go in there because it just makes me think about how I can't get a cone with chocolate peanut butter ice cream.

Have you been devastated when a favorite restaurant closed? How did you console yourself?

(For fellow Lassi fans, the restaurant will continue to cater and hopes to open in a new location in the future.)


by Lauren Salkeld

MORE FROM EPICURIOUS.COM

Browse hundreds of recipes for making Indian food at home

The 12 Best Burgers in America From Miami to Seattle

Essential Restaurant Guides for cities from coast to coast

Ten of the most dedicated farm-to-table restaurants in America

Explore the globe's most iconic recipes in Around the World in 80 Dishes